Remodeling articles from December 2004

Remodeling archives from December 2004

The Diderot Effect.(First Word)
December 1, 2004... Recently, I had one of those coincidences where you hear a word or expression for the first time, then hear it again and sometimes a third or fourth time within a few days. The first time was at a meeting of the Remodeling Futures Program, part...

Going Coastal.(.comment)
December 1, 2004... A new supplement called COASTAL CONTRACTOR is currently posted online at www.coastal contractor.net. Designed to address the unique technical and business needs of builders and remodelers working in the extreme environment along the Eastern...

Correction.(Call Back)(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2004... The photo labeled as the Napoleon Starfire GD70NT-S that ran on page 228 of the October 2004 issue was incorrect. The image was of the Heat-N-Glo 36-inch Crestfire CF750E. The Starfire as shown here. We apologize for any confusion this may have...

Good show.(In Person)
December 1, 2004... The 2004 Remodeling Show, held this October in Chicago, was the best-attended ever, registering a record 12,147 attendees. And if bigger means better, this year's Show was the best in quite a while. More than 330 companies filled an exhibition...

Demo for a cause.(News + Notes)
December 1, 2004... This is the giving season, and there are ways you, as a remodeler, can play Santa Claus for families in need. You won't get milk and cookies, but you don't have to dress up, either. One place to hook is your Habitat for Humanity chapter....

Safety violations.(News + Notes)
December 1, 2004... If you cut corners on your scaffolding, it turns out you're not alone: improper scaffolding was the most frequently cited violation of construction and remodeling standards by OSHA. Between October 2003 and September 2004, 1,732 citations...

RAI shows continued growth.(News + Notes)
December 1, 2004... Third-quarter data compiled by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University indicate that homeowners continue to spend heavily on improving and repairing their homes. Released in mid-October, the 2004 third-quarter update of...

Trading casas?(News + Notes)
December 1, 2004... Flip on your TV on any given night, and you'll no doubt find people eating cockroaches, exchanging family members, and selecting their spouse from a group of complete--but attractive!--strangers. Perhaps the one positive in this trend is...

Computers, technology, and remodeling: where have we been and where are we going?(Commentary)
December 1, 2004... In the past, it was hard to convince the seasoned remodeler that he would need to embrace computer technology in order to survive. "I'm a hammer & nails kind of guy" and "I do just fine with my books and my 'stick-method' of writing estimates...

Finding your way: your company values and bedrock boundaries should be your guide as to just how flexible you can be.(Commentary)
December 1, 2004... I recently attended a meeting of 15 very different people who have long-term business relationships with each other and with my company. Important issues surfaced: What is our goal as a group? How do we fit into a system of many groups? How do...

Passion plays: find what gets you really fired up and the enthusiasm will be contagious.(Commentary)
December 1, 2004... About every two weeks, we host a day-long event called "Discovery day", at my company. It's designed as a time to share with prospective partners and other companies with whom we have or are contemplating forming an alliance, our insights on...

Risking change: when you no longer appreciate what you've got, it may be time to rethink your position.(Commentary)
December 1, 2004... Too often I have found myself in a conversation at the lumberyard with other builders who mention how hard it is out there and how difficult clients can be. I've been in business for six short but rewarding years. I've had both slow and...

Check it out.(Ways + Means)
December 1, 2004... Several years ago, Dale Nikula's Encore Construction laid a tile floor in a client's first-floor entryway. The client had picked out the tile with Nikula, who was then in sales. Construction began, and the client decided on a different tile....

Celebrate craft.(Ways + Means)
December 1, 2004... We want our carpenters to love their craft and not get bogged down in administration," says David Amundson, owner of TreHus Builders. Instead of a lead carpenter system, this Minneapolis design/build firm has used a "master carpenter system"...

Call me.(Ways + Means)
December 1, 2004... It's 5:30 a.m. and your cell phone rings. The last person you want to hear from is a client. Unless you're Norman Gavin. He has a 24-hour answering service that directs calls to his cell phone when no one is in the office. His cell is always...

Balancing act.(Work + Life)
December 1, 2004... Q: How do I hold my team accountable for specific, measurable results without being perceived as overbearing and demanding? A: Holding people accountable requires you to walk a line between being too lax and too overbearing. Being too lax...

Expansion plans.(Bottom Line)
December 1, 2004... If you're looking to expand your remodeling company, investment banker Scott Sanderson has some advice for you. The managing director of Goldsmith Agio Helms, a Chicago investment banking firm, recently helped a remodeling company find funding...

Insuring tools.(Bottom Line)
December 1, 2004... Most business insurance covers the office structure and some property but may have limited coverage for tools and equipment. If your policy does not cover off-site equipment, you should consider inland marine coverage. This is a separate...

Marketing work shop/before + after hanging out.(Sales + Marketing)
December 1, 2004... Before * While its intentions are good, this door hanger opens with an apology, which is never good. Always start with a positive statement, for example, "If we can be of any further help, please call us." * The paper stock is flimsy....

Sales school 101: golden leads.(Sales + Marketing)
December 1, 2004... What happened: I went to a client's house i11 a lousy section of town. He said a friend had used us before. (The job was a $10.000 kitchen facelift.) While I was there, the friend called! The client put me on the phone with him: I said hello. I...

Making product campaign cards work.(Sales + Marketing)
December 1, 2004... Direct mail helps maximize leads, and, later, sales. While 81% of Americans read newspapers, 96% have phones, and 98% have TVs, everyone has a mailbox. Three direct mail venues provide the most return: traditional "duster" cards, product...

Giving spirit.(Field Notes)
December 1, 2004... A carpenter at DeCiantis Construction had his tools stolen from his truck while it was parked in his driveway. His vehicle insurance didn't cover the loss because he had not specified the tools in his policy. His coworkers came to the rescue,...

Playing it safe.(Field Notes)
December 1, 2004... Construction companies do not spend enough money on safety incentive programs. That's according to Greg Perricone, a safety specialist for Aon, a national construction-based insurance company in Pasadena, Calif. "If they take a small portion of...

Efficient change orders.(Field Notes)
December 1, 2004... Change orders rarely come neatly wrapped. At my company, we complete a form in the office based on information we receive over the phone, estimate the cost of the change, and then present it to the client. We try to respond within one day, but...

Design/build basics.(By Design)
December 1, 2004... Last month, REMODELING'S "The Business of Design/Build" (November 2004, page 108) highlighted a roundtable discussion among remodelers to follow up on research, sponsored by Andersen Windows, that gauged the influence of design on the American...

Your call.(Tech@Work)
December 1, 2004... Cell phones have moved rapidly from being accessories to being necessities, especially in the remodeling business. While Nextel's walkie-talkie system is favored by many remodelers, there is no real consensus on which system or plan is the...

The evils of e-mail.(Tech@Work)
December 1, 2004... On the one hand, e-mail is the No. 1 Internet application. On the other, e-mail can cause more problems than it solves. Time sink. E-mail can waste an untold amount of a recipient's time. Lead carpenters of a client of ours were each...

Profile: Ken Moeslein.(Close up: insight and opinion from the best in the business)
December 1, 2004... Swingline Windows has been exhibiting at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden show for 17 years. But this past March was the first time the company didn't build a booth but, rather, towed its exhibit onto the show floor. The display is a...

Second look: Jim Friedman and Paul Ryan.(Close up: insight and opinion from the best in the business)
December 1, 2004... When Jim Friedman (right), Paul Ryan, and their company, Ryan Associates, were named to the Big50 in 1993, they were already a huge success story, doing $12 million of business in a "soft" year. In the past 11 years, the business has grown 500%...

Should incoming calls be answered in person or is a voice mail routing system a more efficient option?(Face off: insight and opinion from the best in the business)
December 1, 2004... "We're always trying to make a good first impression." --Ken Connor ACTUAL VOICE ON THE LINE From 8 to 5, we like to have office staff, Helmut (the president), or myself, answer the phone. We try to answer by the second ring....

Corporate talk: what is the legal organization of your company and why?(Q+A)
December 1, 2004... Most Big50 we talked with understand how their companies are organized, although few could specify all the pros and cons of every alternative. For those details, they all bow to the advice of their accountants and attorneys. Here, we...

Changes of plan: a dedicated construction staff and flexible architect elevate this project from a good design to one that is exactly tailored to the homeowners' needs.(before + after)
December 1, 2004... The 2,000 square feet of space in this 1967 ranch house had small rooms and an awkward flow. After living with the unsuitable space for 20 years, Mike and Helen Moskal began looking for a new house, but they ultimately decided to stay and...

Contract killers: protect yourself, your employees, your customers, and your business with a thorough document that lays typical problems to rest.
December 1, 2004... Remodeler Paul Eldrenkamp says that the best piece of legal advice he ever received came from one of his first clients, about two decades ago. At the time, Eldrenkamp, president of Byggmeister Associates, Newton, Mass., was converting a sun...

Group therapy: peer review groups offer a safe place to bare it all and support for making the tough decisions that, you hope, will improve your bottom line.(Cover Story)
December 1, 2004... Erik Anderson of Winston-Salem, N.C., had only been in business for four years when, he says, "I realized I couldn't continue working at this pace. We thought if we worked hard, we'd earn a good living. We were working really hard and we were...

Best-laid plans: learn three common kitchen layouts to help your clients work best in their space.(Design Clinic)
December 1, 2004... Barbara Rose of S.N. Peck, Chicago, says most of her clients are making the kitchen the focus of their remodeling and the center of their homes. "More often this is the place people put their greatest effort--the most thought, the most money,...

Central station.(Management)
December 1, 2004... Chaden Halfhill is both a sculptor and a remodeler, so it's only appropriate that his residential designs reflect his artistic side. For this master suite bathroom, the owner of Silent Rivers in Urbandale, Iowa, created an elegant and...

What's in a name?(Management)
December 1, 2004... From the minute Dan Luck took over Modern Kitchen in 1989, the name of the company bothered him. The family-owned company had been around since 1963, and the moniker had limited it ever since. "It says modern and it says kitchen," Luck says....

Toto.(Water Closets)
December 1, 2004... The Neorest 600 features tankless design and an automatic open-and-shut lid. Its Power Catalytic Deodorizer engages when a user rises from the seat and virtually eliminates odor. The three-stage Cyclone flush minimizes noise and splash. It also...

Sterling.(Water Closets)
December 1, 2004... Taking a practical approach to saving water, the Rockton toilet offers two flushing options at the touch of a button: One can either flush with 1.6 gallons or 0.8 gallons. The Dual Force flushing technology will eliminate the need for double...

Eljer.(Water Closets)
December 1, 2004... Designed for a powder room or smaller bathroom, the Newport 17-inch Space-Saver One-Piece toilet features the company's E-Force Gravity Flushing System. Although its elongated bowl has a wall-to-front-of-rim length of 28 1/2 inches, its rim is...

American Standard.(Water Closets)
December 1, 2004... The Champion toilet boasts what the company calls "America's Best Flushing System." Its proprietary flush tower releases 1.6 gallons of water per flush in less than one second, and a 3-inch diameter flush valve allows more water to enter the...

Saniflo.(Water Closets)
December 1, 2004... Made specifically for difficult applications, the Saniplus Macerating Toilet system allows the construction of bathrooms in places where excavation is impossible or undesired, such as in a basement, attic, or garage. A macerator pump housed...

Across the universe: remodelers are showing the world how to age in place.(Trends)
December 1, 2004... Baby boomers spend more money on remodeling projects than any other segment of the population, according to a report by Harvard University's Remodeling Futures Program. Adding universal design features, however, is usually not on their agenda,...

Not "plain gray": decorative concrete offers unique looks at all price points.(Trends)
December 1, 2004... Regarded as the fastest-growing segment of the concrete industry, decorative concrete now is making its way into projects of all sizes and budgets as color and texture experimentation has revived interest in the category. Once only found in...

Ode to soy: soy can be a green replacement for fossil fuels.(Trends)
December 1, 2004... Remodelers in search of new green products need look no further than America's soybean fields. A number of manufacturers of industrial products are employing soy as a main ingredient, often as a replacement for imported fossil fuels and other...

Broan-NuTone.(HVAC)
December 1, 2004... Meant to be unobtrusive, the U102 Slim-Line Under-Cabinet range hood leaves only 1 1/2 inches visible when it's slid away under the cabinet. A full 18 1/2 inches deep when in use, the hood is available in 30-, 36-, and 42-inch widths. It...

York.(HVAC)
December 1, 2004... The latest in the Affinity series, the 3S and 8T model heat pumps are Energy Star qualified. Scroll compressor technology offers increased efficiency, says the maker, and a full end, full service access panel with a handle makes installation...

Panasonic.(HVAC)
December 1, 2004... The WhisperFitLite low-profile ventilation fan offers a slim design that promises to be easier to fit into small ceiling cavities. The housing is 5 1/2 inches deep. Two 13-watt compact fluorescent lamps provide illumination and a nightlight...

Honeywell.(HVAC)
December 1, 2004... The VisionPro touch-screen programmable thermostat promises to be user-friendly and easy to install. Boasting a 10-inch-square touch-screen display, the thermostat can be programmed up to seven days in advance. A "change/check reminder" lets...

Hydro-Therm.(HVAC)
December 1, 2004... The KN-10 commercial gas-fired boiler employs Tru-Flow technology--a "self-adaptive" design that adjusts air and fuel under various conditions to maximize performance and boiler safety, according to the company. Less than 27 inches wide, it can...

Ridgid.(Tool Storage)
December 1, 2004... Keeping tools secure on a busy jobsite is crucial. To that end, this line of On-Site Storage Chests employs permanently retained locks and recessed shackles that prevent lost locks and access by saws, pry bars, and cutters, says the maker....

Craftsman.(Tool Storage)
December 1, 2004... The Premium Chest offers eight drawers with 4,432 cubic inches of storage space. Its two-in-one drawer system converts two drawers into one deep drawer to store larger tools. The drawers feature Quiet Glide drawer slides and full-width aluminum...

Veto Pro Pac.(Tool Storage)
December 1, 2004... Capitalizing on the popularity of its Model XL tool bag, the company has added two new models, the LC and the XXL-F (shown). The LC has 60 pockets and can hold more than 75 hand tools. The XXL-F is made for longer tools, such as saws and...

Stanley.(Tool Storage)
December 1, 2004... The FatMax Cantilever Tool Box has a clear polycarbonate lid for easy tool visibility. Four top trays open outward to reveal a large lower storage space. Constructed of steel and high-impact resin, the box is lightweight and durable and...

Milwaukee.(Tool Storage)
December 1, 2004... Part of the company's new line of tool storage accessories, the 55-Pocket Bucket Tool Organizer fits standard 3 1/2- or 5-gallon buckets. A unique feature is the internal drill holster, which holds an up to 18-volt cordless hammer drill or...

Chevrolet/GMC.(Trucks & Truck Accessories)
December 1, 2004... The Chevrolet Kodiak and the GMC Topkick medium-duty trucks offer enhanced performance for 2005. Four-wheel-drive system is available on C4500 and C5500 models, Allison transmissions have been recalibrated and are backed by a longer warranty,...

Knaack.(Trucks & Truck Accessories)
December 1, 2004... The diamond-plate aluminum Weather Guard deep saddle box is designed to fit compact pickup trucks with short beds and wheel wells located to the front of the bed. The box offers 8.9 cubic feet of storage and an exclusive "one-touch" latch...

Toyota.(Trucks & Truck Accessories)
December 1, 2004... The 2005 Tundra flaunts increased horsepower in its 4.7-liter V8 engine. The V8 models now have standard five-speed automatic transmission. The 4.0-liter V6 gained a nearly 30% increase in its horsepower (now 245) and torque (now 282 pounds per...

Reading truck body.(Trucks & Truck Accessories)
December 1, 2004... The Steel Force enclosed truck body is the only all-steel utility work van in the industry, says the company. Features include a 12-gauge safety tread steel floor, a 50-inch-wide rear door opening, and completely smooth enclosure sides. The...

Insulation and HVAC,.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Weather you're preparing for Old Man Winter in Boston or he sun in Phoenix, you need a well-functioning HVAC system to keep you comfortable in your home. If system breaks down, things can get pretty unbearable. That's why it's important for...

Measuring managers and employees: what distinguishes extraordinary managers and employees from everyone else? The answers to 12 questions tell the story.(Benchmark)
December 1, 2004... Over the past 25 years, the Gallup Organization, famous for opinion polling, has undertaken two giant research studies. In the first, Gallup asked more than one million employees from a broad range of industries a series of questions designed...